Yesterday was Ash Wednesday. The first day of Lent. I’m not Catholic, and I’m not really Protestant either. But for the last 2 years, I’ve observed Lent in a way that works for me. 3 years ago, Magda told me about how her church in New York observes Lent. They pray purposefully. The main gist of it is that you choose 6 people on the periphery of your life that you pray for the whole 40 days. You pray for… Read more

Happy Thursday my friends! Its a new year and with that a new batch of goals and trying on new routines. I’m doing the work, trying to make a difference here in my small-ish town and living my dreams. Each year, for the last 3 years, I begin the year by closing out the old and welcoming in the new…I’m not talking about New Year’s Eve celebrations, but by working on ME. I learned 3 years ago that for me… Read more

My mind is racing and there are 5,000 things to be done today. It is the first day. Today feels like the real first day of the year. My babies are all shuttled off to school and while I mourn the cozy, sleepy time of winter break with our late nights all gathered into the living room and our sleeping in; its difficult to really buckle down and get to work when everyone’s schedules are so relaxed. During break I… Read more

Good morning my friends. I woke this morning to the gentle sound of rain outside and even though it is December 21st and it should be snowing here in Ohio, I gave thanks for the rain. Because it is enough. I’ve been thinking a lot these last few weeks about giving and receiving. About being valued and honored and about being enough. I pray and speak to God in a way that allows me the most connection to the… Read more

I am so very thankful. I am so very blessed. We are healthy, we are happy, we like each other and we love each other. As I stand here in our kitchen with Khaled, our family prepares to welcome our friends and family into our home to break bread. I am so thankful. Today, I pray that no one person is touched by violence. Thank you to the Indigenous people of America, my European ancestors, my country of origin,… Read more

Monday, I came across this question posted on the About page. Instead of responding there, I thought to share it here in case any of you have more input. Hi, I have a question. Well you see I’ve been dating this Muslim guy from Pakistan, but I’m not Muslim. I have been learning more about the culture and all. I’m afraid I of what my family will say if they know I may become Muslim. I love him with all… Read more

These days I’m unsettled. I feel like we are on the cusp of a major change. By ‘we’ I mean The World, The United States, Society as a Whole, Islam, My Family, Me. My wise friend, Heather, tells us to breathe through the change but I’m scared of change. I know it is inevitable, but the unknown is scary. It is unsettling. It is dumping everything in the cake pan and hoping it all turns out alright without following the… Read more

Happy Monday friends! This morning when I settled in at my computer to get some work done, I found this letter from a reader. Hey, I recently came across your website and was hoping I could get your opinion or view on some of the stuff that I have going on. My boyfriend of almost 2 years just broke up with me out of no where, he said something about we can never be anything more than we are right… Read more

This piece was published on July15 as part of The Hopscotch Hijabi’s 2015 Interfaith Ramadan Series. credit I am un-mosqued. Every mosque I’ve ever been in feels like a side entrance. It doesn’t matter if we walk through the same door as the men, or sit directly across the latticework barrier from them. To the non-Muslim parent of Muslim children, the mosque feels unwelcome. To be fair, I am also un-churched. Every church I’ve been in since entering my interfaith… Read more